Breast reduction surgery, also known as reduction mammoplasty, is the second most common cosmetic surgery procedure performed in the United Kingdom, following breast enlargement.
| City | Average Cost | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| London | £5,500 | £4,500 – £7,000 |
| Manchester | £5,000 | £4,000 – £6,500 |
| Birmingham | £4,800 | £4,000 – £6,000 |
| Bristol | £5,200 | £4,300 – £6,800 |
As the name suggests, the aim of this procedure is to reduce the size of the breasts in order to help the patient overcome physical or emotional discomfort.
In this article, we go over everything you need to know about breast reduction surgery, from its cost, benefits, and what it involves to its recovery and potential implications.
Main Topics
How Much Does a Breast Reduction Surgery Cost?
The cost of a breast reduction cosmetic procedure varies based on individual requirements. It could range from £3,000 to £7,500. Expect to pay around £6,500, including consultations and follow-up care.
Take into consideration that price fluctuations are a result of factors like the experience of the surgeon, chosen hospital, complexity of the procedure (based on the individual), anaesthetist experience, and the time required to carry out the operation.
Does Breast Reduction Include a Breast Lift?
The two operations are pretty much the same, as they both involve removing excess skin. The main difference is that, in breast reduction surgery, more skin and tissue are removed.
Whether you opt for a breast reduction or breast uplift, correcting breast sagging is applied. If you think about it, breast sagging is why you’re experiencing physical discomfort, to begin with, alongside the size of your breasts, of course. So, in order to relieve physical discomfort, lifting the breasts is fundamental.
Why Should You Have Breast Reduction Surgery?
Physical discomfort is the number one reason why you should consider a breast reduction. The most common discomforts that are a result of having large sagging breasts include backache, irritation under the breast fold, shoulder pain, neck ache, and pressure from bra straps.
Apart from physical discomfort, you can opt for a breast reduction procedure if you’re simply unhappy with the size or shape of your breasts.
Having breast reduction surgery has plenty of benefits aside from alleviating discomfort. Some of these benefits include easier movement and exercise, an easier fit into button-up shirts and other types of attire, smaller and more visually appealing look, and balanced breast size.
What’s more, if you struggle with unwanted attention due to the size of your breasts, a breast reduction operation will surely be of help.
What Does Breast Reduction Surgery Involve?
Breast reduction surgery is performed under the effect of a general anaesthetic. In other words, you’ll be asleep throughout the operation. The operation involves three primary stages.
Firstly, your cosmetic surgeon will use a specific incision method to cut on the line of the areola, which is the darker area around the nipple, as well as carry out a vertical cut beneath the areola. In this stage, the nipple is moved to its new position while attached to the blood supply.
The second stage is to remove excess fat and skin as well as glandular tissue from the breasts. Lastly, your cosmetic surgeon will start reshaping the breast tissue to achieve the desired shape and size.
Time-wise, breast reduction surgery takes two to three hours to be performed. It all boils down to the individual’s needs or, in other words, the extent of the reduction. The person having the procedure will be required to stay in hospital for one or two nights.
Different Incision Types for Breast Reduction Surgery
Now that you have an idea of what takes place in a breast reduction operation, it’s time for you to learn about the different types of incisions that plastic surgeons opt for when carrying out the procedure.
Why should you bother with learning about the different types of incisions? Because they leave behind scars post-surgery, with each type leaving behind different scars. It’s best to learn about incision types and the scars they leave behind so that you set realistic expectations.
Of course, nobody wants to have permanently lingering scars, which is one of the reasons why many are hesitant to have breast reduction surgery. However, you ought to know that surgical scars heal, lighten up, and fade into the skin after a while, so you don’t have to worry about your body being permanently scarred.
The time required for the surgical scars to fade differs from one person to another, but it should be somewhere between six and nine months.
Obviously, the more skin, fat, and tissue are removed, the larger the incisions will be, which, in turn, will make for larger scars. But no matter how notable the scars are, they’ll heal with time.
The first type of incision that plastic surgeons opt for when carrying out a breast reduction is the Circumareolar incision, also known as the Doughnut incision. This type of incision is preferred for smaller reductions, as it only cuts around the areola.
The second type is the Vertical incision, also known as the Lollipop incision. Surgeons opt for this incision to go around the areola and down to the breast’s crease. It’s often employed for small to moderate reductions.
The third and last type is the Inverted-T incision, also known as the Anchor incision. This type is opted for when carrying out large breast reductions. It goes around the areola, all the way down to the crease, and then across the crease.
Different Techniques for Breast Tissue Removal
The general surgical technique that’s used in breast reduction surgery is the Pedicle. This technique is preferred by most cosmetic surgeons because it helps keep the areolas and nipples attached to a predetermined amount of breast tissue, which, in turn, ensures a connection to the blood supply.
There are two variants of the Pedicle technique: Inferior Pedicle and Superior Pedicle. The former takes place at the lower part of the breasts. The technique is usually combined with Anchor incisions for optimal results, and it’s most commonly used for large reductions. The Inferior Pedicle removes tissues from the upper part from the breast.
The Superior Pedicle, on the other hand, removes tissues from the lower part of the breast as well as from the sides. The Superior Pedicle is usually combined with Lollipop incisions in order to ensure optimal results. It’s suitable for small to moderate breast reductions.
An adept cosmetic surgeon will do their best to keep the nipples and untouched breast tissue attached to the blood supply in order to preserve sensation in the nipples and breasts. Doing so also helps prevent future complications and increases the chances of successful breastfeeding.
Apart from the Pedicle technique, there’s another less common technique that’s utilized, and it’s called Free Nipple Graft. This technique is gaining a lot of momentum nowadays, but it’s still not as popular as the Pedicle technique, as it requires that the areola and nipple are detached from the untouched breast tissue.
After removing the tissue via Free Nipple Graft, the plastic surgeon then goes on to reattach the areola and nipple.
The Free Nipple Graft technique doesn’t do as good of a job as the Pedicle technique when it comes to preserving nipple sensation. Also, it takes the ability to breakfast out of the equation completely.
Risks and Complications of Breast Reduction Surgery
No matter the surgery, there are always complications and risks that you ought to take into consideration; breast reduction surgery is no different. Some of the most common risks and complications that you must be aware of include
- Numbness in the breast
- Altered breast sensation
- Keloid scarring
- Bleeding and bruising
- Blood clots
- Necrosis of the tissue
- Loss of skin or tissues
- Breast infection
- Seroma
- Aesthetic problems
How to Prepare for Breast Reduction Operation
Among the factors that have a noteworthy influence on the recovery process after having a breast reduction procedure is preparation. There are various aspects that you want to keep in mind when preparing for breast reduction.
Obviously, after you’ve just had the surgery, you won’t be able to go home by yourself, as you won’t be able to drive. This entails having to arrange with a relative or friend to pick you up and drive you home safely after you’re done with the operation.
We highly recommend that the person you choose stays with you throughout the first 24 hours after the surgery, as you’ll still be under the effect of the general anaesthetic and you may find it very hard to carry out basic tasks.
With that said, you want to make sure that all household chores are carried out before getting into surgery so that you don’t go home and find out that you haven’t taken out the trash or cleaned your bedroom where you’re supposed to rest. You should also prepare some meals so that you don’t have to worry about cooking after the surgery.
After the surgery, it wouldn’t be smart to stretch in order to get to hard-to-reach items, so make sure you have everything you need handy, from dry food to drinking mugs.
If you have pets or children, get in touch with a relative or family member and ask them to look after your kids and pets during your recovery. As far as sleep, you’ll be required to sleep on your back after the surgery. It’s also recommended that you opt for an inclined position using pillows, as it’ll help you overcome the bruising and swelling associated with the procedure.
What Should I Wear After the Procedure?
Post-operative garment is an important part of ensuring optimal results after the procedure. During the first few post-surgery days, it’s highly recommended that you avoid all attire that requires you to reach up and pull them over your head to wear them, as they’ll put a lot of pressure and strain on the stitches.
Ideally, you want to wear clothes that are easily fastened from the front. We advise referring to your plastic surgeon as far as which post-operative garment to wear, how tight they should be, and how long you should wear them for.
When to Return to Work After a Breast Reduction Operation?
If you’re a working woman, you’ll need to take a couple of weeks off from work after your breast reduction operation. It all really boils down to the job, though. If you have an office job, you can return to work after a week or so. But if your job is physically demanding, you might need more than two weeks. We recommend referring to your cosmetic surgeon for specific instructions.
What to Return to Exercise After a Breast Reduction Operation?
After a breast reduction operation, you’ll want to avoid all physically demanding activities. This doesn’t mean that you must stop moving completely. Below is a simple breakdown of how you should go about handling physical activities after your procedure.
- Week 1-3: During the first three weeks after your operation, you want to steer clear of any sports or demanding activities, as they can worsen the bruising and swelling.
- Week 3-6: After the third week, you can start engaging in light exercises like cycling. Keep your activities as light as possible and avoid exerting too much effort.
- Thereafter: After the sixth week, you can engage in any type of sport or exercise. It’s also possible to lift heavier weights.
The above-mentioned timeframes are merely estimates. Once again, we recommend referring to your plastic surgeon with regard to such matters so that you can get specific instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Will There Be Visible Scarring After a Breast Reduction?
Experienced plastic surgeons do their best to reduce the number of incisions required to carry out a breast reduction. Initially, the scars will be quite visible if you’re not clothed, but over time, they’ll begin to lighten up and fade into the skin. Within six to nine months, the scars will have completely disappeared.
Can I Breastfeed After the Operation?
It all boils down to the technique used to remove breast tissue. If you have plans to breastfeed after the surgery, you should discuss your concerns with your cosmetic surgeon.